1. RELATIVELY LIBERAL JOHANNESBURG-BASED FEDERAL CONSULTATIVE
COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS & HARBOURS STAFF ASSOCIATIONS
WHICH LOST CONTROL OF SIX-MAN CONFEN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO
CONSERVATIVE PRETORIA-BASED COORDINATING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICAN
TRADE UNIONS IN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS LAST NOVEMBER
(REFTEL) DECIDED FEBRUARY 28 BY 3-0 VOTE WITH 4 ABSTENTIONS TO
WITHDRAW FROM CONFED.
2. SEVEN UNIONS WHICH MAKE UP FEDERAL COUNCIL (WITH TOTAL OF OVER
80,000 MEMBERS) WILL NOW HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO AFFILIATE
WITH CONFED IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS INDIVIDUAL UNIONS. EXPECTATION
IS THAT MOST IF NOT ALL WILL OPT IN FAVOR OF INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATION
SINCE UNDER CONFED'S WEIGHTED VOTING SYSTEM THEY WILL ENJOY
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 JOHANN 00337 081456Z
GREATER TOTAL INFLUENCE AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
3. PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF SHISM IS BASIC DISAGREEMENT ON HOW TO DEAL
WITH BLACK LABOR. FEDERAL COUNCIL UNIONS HAVE ADOPTED RELATIVELY
POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD BLACK ADVANCEMENT (WITH ESTIMATED 13,000
BLACKS NOW PERFORMING FUNCTIONS ALBEIT AT LOWER WAGES FORMERLY
RESERVED FOR WHITES ON SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS) WHEREAS COORDINATING
COUNCIL UNIONS HAVE STEADFASTLY RESISTED BLACK ENCROACHMENT EVEN
IN FACE OF INCREASING SHORTAGES OF QUALIFIED WHITE WORKERS.
4. COMMENT: COORDINATING COUNCIL HAS SUCH POLITICAL CLOUT
WITHIN SAG THAT WHEN COUNCIL OFFICIALS FLEW TO CAPE TOWN FEBRUARY 10
TO
PROTEST RELAXATION OF JOB RESERVATION IN BUILDING INDUSTRY (A-9)
LABOUR MINISTER VILJOEN NOT ONLY RECEIVED THEM PERSONALLY BUT
ARRANGED FOR THEM TO SEE PRIME MINISTER AS WELL. FEDERAL COUNCIL
DOES NOT POSSESS THIS TYPE OF POLITICAL STRENGTH AT PRESENT BUT
DERIVES SATISFACTION FROM KNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS FAR MORE IN TUNE
WITH ECONOMIC FACTS OF LIFE.
GUTHRIE
UNCLASSIFIED
NNN

Raw content

UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01 JOHANN 00337 081456Z
44
ACTION AF-06
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 EB-07 INR-07 LAB-04
NSAE-00 SIL-01 DODE-00 PM-03 H-02 L-02 NSC-05 PA-02
PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15 USIA-15 /073 W
--------------------- 091032
R 081344Z MAR 75
FM AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3769
INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMCONSUL DURBAN
AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
UNCLAS JOHANNESBURG 0337
CAPE TOWN FOR EMBASSY
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: ELAB, SF
SUBJ: SCHISM WIDENS BETWEEN LIBERAL & CONSERVATIVE ELEMENTS
WITHIN ALL-WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN CONFEDERATION OF LABOUR
(CONFED)
REF: JOHANNESBURG 1267 NOV. 26, 1974; JOHANNESBURG A-9, FEB 5, 1975
1. RELATIVELY LIBERAL JOHANNESBURG-BASED FEDERAL CONSULTATIVE
COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS & HARBOURS STAFF ASSOCIATIONS
WHICH LOST CONTROL OF SIX-MAN CONFEN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO
CONSERVATIVE PRETORIA-BASED COORDINATING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICAN
TRADE UNIONS IN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS LAST NOVEMBER
(REFTEL) DECIDED FEBRUARY 28 BY 3-0 VOTE WITH 4 ABSTENTIONS TO
WITHDRAW FROM CONFED.
2. SEVEN UNIONS WHICH MAKE UP FEDERAL COUNCIL (WITH TOTAL OF OVER
80,000 MEMBERS) WILL NOW HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO AFFILIATE
WITH CONFED IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS INDIVIDUAL UNIONS. EXPECTATION
IS THAT MOST IF NOT ALL WILL OPT IN FAVOR OF INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATION
SINCE UNDER CONFED'S WEIGHTED VOTING SYSTEM THEY WILL ENJOY
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 JOHANN 00337 081456Z
GREATER TOTAL INFLUENCE AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
3. PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF SHISM IS BASIC DISAGREEMENT ON HOW TO DEAL
WITH BLACK LABOR. FEDERAL COUNCIL UNIONS HAVE ADOPTED RELATIVELY
POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD BLACK ADVANCEMENT (WITH ESTIMATED 13,000
BLACKS NOW PERFORMING FUNCTIONS ALBEIT AT LOWER WAGES FORMERLY
RESERVED FOR WHITES ON SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS) WHEREAS COORDINATING
COUNCIL UNIONS HAVE STEADFASTLY RESISTED BLACK ENCROACHMENT EVEN
IN FACE OF INCREASING SHORTAGES OF QUALIFIED WHITE WORKERS.
4. COMMENT: COORDINATING COUNCIL HAS SUCH POLITICAL CLOUT
WITHIN SAG THAT WHEN COUNCIL OFFICIALS FLEW TO CAPE TOWN FEBRUARY 10
TO
PROTEST RELAXATION OF JOB RESERVATION IN BUILDING INDUSTRY (A-9)
LABOUR MINISTER VILJOEN NOT ONLY RECEIVED THEM PERSONALLY BUT
ARRANGED FOR THEM TO SEE PRIME MINISTER AS WELL. FEDERAL COUNCIL
DOES NOT POSSESS THIS TYPE OF POLITICAL STRENGTH AT PRESENT BUT
DERIVES SATISFACTION FROM KNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS FAR MORE IN TUNE
WITH ECONOMIC FACTS OF LIFE.
GUTHRIE
UNCLASSIFIED
NNN